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ursula-第19部分

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〃Au revoir。〃



〃Oh; godfather; you have read my heart!〃 cried Ursula; giving him a

grateful look。



〃You are going to have a voice;〃 he said; 〃and I shall give you

masters of drawing and Italian also。 A woman;〃 added the doctor;

looking at Ursula as he unfastened the gate of his house; 〃ought to be

educated to the height of every position in which her marriage may

place her。〃



Ursula grew red as a cherry; her godfather's thoughts evidently turned

in the same direction as her own。 Feeling that she was too near

confessing to the doctor the involuntary attraction which led her to

think about Savinien and to center all her ideas of affection upon

him; she turned aside and sat down in front of a great cluster of

climbing plants; on the dark background of which she looked at a

distance like a blue and white flower。



〃Now you see; godfather; that your nieces were very kind to me; yes;

they were very kind;〃 she repeated as he approached her; to change the

thoughts that made him pensive。



〃Poor little girl!〃 cried the old man。



He laid Ursula's hand upon his arm; tapping it gently; and took her to

the terraces beside the river; where no one could hear them。



〃Why do you say; 'Poor little girl'?〃



〃Don't you see how they fear you?〃



〃Fear me;why?〃



〃My next of kin are very uneasy about my conversion。 They no doubt

attribute it to your influence over me; they fancy I deprive them of

their inheritance to enrich you。〃



〃But you won't do that?〃 said Ursula naively; looking up at him。



〃Oh; divine consolation of my old age!〃 said the doctor; taking his

godchild in his arms and kissing her on both cheeks。 〃It was for her

and not for myself; oh God! that I besought thee just now to let me

live until the day I give her to some good being who is worthy of her!

You will see comedies; my little angel; comedies which the Minorets

and Cremieres and Massins will come and play here。 You want to

brighten and prolong my life; they are longing for my death。〃



〃God forbids us to hate any one; but if that is Ah! I despise them!〃

exclaimed Ursula。



〃Dinner is ready!〃 called La Bougival from the portico; which; on the

garden side; was at the end of the corridor。







CHAPTER IX



A FIRST CONFIDENCE



Ursula and her godfather were sitting at dessert in the pretty dining…

room decorated with Chinese designs in black and gold lacquer (the

folly of Levrault…Levrault) when the justice of peace arrived。 The

doctor offered him (and this was a great mark of intimacy) a cup of

his coffee; a mixture of Mocha with Bourbon and Martinique; roasted;

ground; and made by himself in a silver apparatus called a Chaptal。



〃Well;〃 said Bongrand; pushing up his glasses and looking slyly at the

old man; 〃the town is in commotion; your appearance in church has put

your relatives beside themselves。 You have left your fortune to the

priests; to the poor。 You have roused the families; and they are

bestirring themselves。 Ha! ha! I saw their first irruption into the

square; they were as busy as ants who have lost their eggs。〃



〃What did I tell you; Ursula?〃 cried the doctor。 〃At the risk of

grieving you; my child; I must teach you to know the world and put you

on your guard against undeserved enmity。〃



〃I should like to say a word to you on this subject;〃 said Bongrand;

seizing the occasion to speak to his old friend of Ursula's future。



The doctor put a black velvet cap on his white head; the justice of

peace wore his hat to protect him from the night air; and they walked

up and down the terrace discussing the means of securing to Ursula

what her godfather intended to bequeath her。 Bongrand knew Dionis's

opinion as to the invalidity of a will made by the doctor in favor of

Ursula; for Nemours was so preoccupied with the Minoret affairs that

the matter had been much discussed among the lawyers of the little

town。 Bongrand considered that Ursula was not a relative of Doctor

Minoret; but he felt that the whole spirit of legislation was against

the foisting into families of illegitimate off…shoots。 The makers of

the Code had foreseen only the weakness of fathers and mothers for

their natural children; without considering that uncles and aunts

might have a like tenderness and a desire to provide for such

children。 Evidently there was a gap in the law。



〃In all other countries;〃 he said; ending an explanation of the legal

points which Dionis; Goupil; and Desire had just explained to the

heirs; 〃Ursula would have nothing to fear; she is a legitimate child;

and the disability of her father ought only to affect the inheritance

from Valentine Mirouet; her grandfather。 But in France the magistracy

is unfortunately overwise and very consequential; it inquires into the

spirit of the law。 Some lawyers talk morality; and might try to show

that this hiatus in the Code came from the simple…mindedness of the

legislators; who did not foresee the case; though; none the less; they

established a principle。 To bring a suit would be long and expensive。

Zelie would carry it to the court of appeals; and I might not be alive

when the case was tried。〃



〃The best of cases is often worthless;〃 cried the doctor。 〃Here's the

question the lawyers will put; 'To what degree of relationship ought

the disability of natural children in matters of inheritance to

extend?' and the credit of a good lawyer will lie in gaining a bad

cause。〃



〃Faith!〃 said Bongrand; 〃I dare not take upon myself to affirm that

the judges wouldn't interpret the meaning of the law as increasing the

protection given to marriage; the eternal base of society。〃



Without explaining his intentions; the doctor rejected the idea of a

trust。 When Bongrand suggested to him a marriage with Ursula as the

surest means of securing his property to her; he exclaimed; 〃Poor

little girl! I might live fifteen years; what a fate for her!〃



〃Well; what will you do; then?〃 asked Bongrand。



〃We'll think about itI'll see;〃 said the old man; evidently at a

loss for a reply。



Just then Ursula came to say that Monsieur Dionis wished to speak to

the doctor。



〃Already!〃 cried Minoret; looking at Bongrand。 〃Yes;〃 he said to

Ursula; 〃send him here。〃



〃I'll bet my spectacles to a bunch of matches that he is the advance…

guard of your heirs;〃 said Bongrand。 〃They breakfasted together at the

post house; and something is being engineered。〃



The notary; conducted by Ursula; came to the lower end of the garden。

After the usual greetings and a few insignificant remarks; Dionis

asked for a private interview; Ursula and Bongrand retired to the

salon。



The distrust which superior men excite in men of business is very

remarkable。 The latter deny them the 〃lesser〃 powers while recognizing

their possession of the 〃higher。〃 It is; perhaps; a tribute to them。

Seeing them always on the higher plane of human things; men of

business believe them incapable of descending to the infinitely petty

details which (like the dividends of finance and the microscopic facts

of science) go to equalize capital and to form the worlds。 They are

mistaken! The man of honor and of genius sees all。 Bongrand; piqued by

the doctor's silence; but impelled by a sense of Ursula's interests

which he thought endangered; resolved to defend her against the heirs。

He was wretched at not knowing what was taking place between the old

man and Dionis。



〃No matter how pure and innocent Ursula may be;〃 he thought as he

looked at her; 〃there is a point on which young girls do make their

own law and their own morality。 I'll test here。 The Minoret…

Levraults;〃 he began; settling his spectacles; 〃might possibly ask you

in marriage for their son。〃



The poor child turned pale。 She was too well trained; and had too much

delicacy to listen to what Dionis was saying to her uncle; but after a

moment's inward deliberation; she thought she might show herself; and

then; if she was in the way; her godfather would let her know it。 The

Chinese pagoda which the doctor made his study had outside blinds to

the glass doors; Ursula invented the excuse of shutting them。 She

begged Monsieur Bongrand's pardon for leaving him alone in the salon;

but he smiled at her and said; 〃Go! go!〃



Ursula went down the steps of the portico which led to the pagoda at

the foot of the garden。 She stood for some minutes slowly arranging

the blinds and watching the sunset。 The doctor and notary were at the

end of the terrace; but as they turned she heard the doctor make an

answer which reached the pagoda where she was。



〃My heirs would be delighted to see me invest my property in real

estate or mortgages; they imagine it would be safer there。 I know

exactly what they are saying; perhaps you come from them。 Let me tell

you; my good sir; that my disposition of my property is irrevocably

made。 My heirs will have the capital I brought here with me; I wish

them to know that; and to let me alone。 If any one of them attempts to

interfere with what I think proper to do for that young girl (pointing

to Ursula) I shall come back from the other world and torment him。 So;

Monsieur Savinien de Portenduere will stay in prison if they count on

me to get him out。 I shall not sell my property in the Funds。〃



Hearing this last fragment of the sentence Ursula experienced the

first and only pain which so far had ever touched her。 She laid her

head against the blind to steady herself。



〃Good God; what is the matter with her?〃 thought the old doctor。 〃She

has no color; such an emotion after dinner might kill her。〃



He went to her with open arms; and she fell into them almost fainting。



〃Adieu; Monsieur;〃 he said to the notary; 〃please leave us。〃



He carried his child to an immense Louis XV。 sofa which was in his

study; looked for a phial of hartshorn among his remedies; and made

her inhale it。



〃Take my place;〃 sa
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